Maui Events in September 2026

Events & Festivals on the island of Maui

06-06-2026

Tori C. Derrick

President & certified Hawaii travel expert with 15+ years of experience in Hawaii tourism.

2026 Events and Festivities

Maui events in September 2026 lean cultural, not commercial. The island opens its Festivals of Aloha calendar, a competitive hula festival returns to the MACC, and the Lā ʻUlu Breadfruit Festival fills Maui Nui Botanical Gardens on Labor Day weekend. It's a quieter, more local month than the resort high seasons. Here's what's worth planning around, with official September dates checked again in early July.

Hula and live music at a Maui cultural festival

Festivals of Aloha (Maui Nui Style)

Maui's chapter of the statewide Aloha Festivals kicks off the month with the Wailuku First Friday street party on Market Street (Sept 4). Later in the month, the official Festivals of Aloha schedule lists the Aloha Friday gathering at Queen Kaʻahumanu Center in Kahului on September 11, followed by the Richard Hoʻopiʻi Leo Kiʻekiʻe Falsetto Contest at the Ritz-Carlton in Kapalua on September 19. The same calendar pushes additional Maui Nui events into October — Lānaʻi, Molokaʻi, Hāna, Wailea, and Makawao dates — so treat September as the opening stretch, not the whole season.

When: September 4th (Wailuku First Friday); September 11th (Aloha Friday at QKC); September 19th (Falsetto Contest), 2026

Where: Wailuku, Kahului, and Kapalua

More Info: festivalsofaloha.com

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Lā ʻUlu Breadfruit Festival

A free, family-friendly festival at the Maui Nui Botanical Gardens celebrating ʻulu (breadfruit) — a staple of the Hawaiian diet. Expect Hawaiian music and hula, cultural activities, cooking demos, small-plate chef tastings, and ʻulu products and trees for sale. Parking is free across the street at the War Memorial complex.

When: Saturday, September 5th, 2026, 9 AM-2 PM

Where: Maui Nui Botanical Gardens, Kahului

More Info: mnbg.org

Kapalua Bay on Maui's west side

Kū Mai Ka Hula

A two-day competitive hula festival at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center, bringing adult hālau together for solo, group, and kūpuna categories across both kahiko (ancient) and ʻauana (modern) styles. It's a ticketed event and a rare chance to see hula judged at the competitive level. The organizer has posted 2026 dates as September 11-12.

When: September 11th-12th, 2026

Where: Maui Arts & Cultural Center, Kahului

More Info: kumaikahula.com

Hāna Relay

One of Hawaiʻi's classic team races, the Hāna Relay runs in stages along the winding Hāna Highway, with teams handing off baton-style through the rainforest curves of East Maui. The 56th annual running is scheduled for Saturday, September 12, 2026 — worth knowing about even if you're not racing, since traffic on the road to Hāna gets busy that morning.

When: Saturday, September 12th, 2026

Where: Along the Hāna Highway, East Maui

More Info: Hāna Relay (RunSignup)

Sunset over the water on Maui

Labor Day (Federal Holiday)

Labor Day falls on Monday, September 7 in 2026. It's a three-day weekend, so expect busier beaches and a livelier feel across the island — worth factoring into your timing if you're visiting that week.

When: Monday, September 7th, 2026

Where: Statewide

September is a strong cultural month on Maui — the Festivals of Aloha opening events, Lā ʻUlu, and Kū Mai Ka Hula are the ones to build a trip around. Looking just past the month: the Maui County Fair returns to the War Memorial complex in Wailuku October 1-4, 2026, and the Festivals of Aloha schedule continues with additional Maui Nui dates through late October.

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